NALCO to build medical college in Koraput

BHUBANESWAR: Public sector undertaking Nalco promised the state government on Thursday to open a 100-seat medical college and 300-bed hospital in tribal-dominated Koraput district. This raises the number of medical colleges in the pipeline in the state to 12, including three by PSUs.

“Responding to the government’s proposal, Nalco has come forward to establish a 100-seat medical college in Koraput as part of its corporate social responsibility. The company will submit its detailed proposal to the government within seven days,” health minister Prasanna Acharya said.

While National Thermal Power Corporation ( NTPC) is in the process of starting a medical college in Sundargarh, Mahandi Coalfields Limited is planning one in Talcher.

“Land identification and alienation for the MCL college will be done at the earliest,” the minister said after reviewing various proposals of establishing medical colleges in the state. To meet the shortage of laboratory technicians in hospitals, the government has also requested MCL to start a DMLT training centre.

New Delhi-based OSL Group’s Centre for Joint Disorders will established a 150-seat medical college, 750-bed super-speciality hospital, a dental college and a nursing college in Bhubaneswar. The group has promised to start work within two months, the minister said.

The upcoming Sardar Rajas medical college and hospital at Jaring in Kalahandi district, being established by Selvam Education and Charitable Trust of Tamil Nadu, will start admitting students from the next academic year, the minister said.

The sDFID of UK has been preparing a report to facilitate a medical college in Balangir. Similarly, land transfer work for the proposed medical college by Sahyog Foundation in Keonjhar will be fast-tracked, the minister said.

Acharya said the government would soon examine the proposals of Basantidevi Charitable Trust and Bidyabharti Charitable Trust as well to open a medical college in Rayagada. The government has also agreed in principle to a proposal from Shankar Netralaya of Chennai to start a 200-bed eye hospital in Berhampur. The government on Tuesday asked Bangalore-based Narayana Hrudayalaya, which has taken land from the state government to establish a super-speciality hospital in Bhubaneswar, or start work or return the land. The group assured to start work by September.

Very good news. We have to wait and watch for more midical colleges and medical facilities particularly in western and southern odisha. The fate of a medical college at Balangir is a matter of pingpong game for the political parties for the last several years. Let other districts get the benefits of medical education at the earliest possible. That will be a befitting salute to Odisha.